Chapter 4. From ‘Readers may be left wondering’ to I’m genuinely puzzled’
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Maria-Lluïsa Gea-Valor
Abstract
The book review (BR) has recently been the focus of insightful research in academia, but few studies have explored this genre in a non-academic context, more specifically in fiction. This paper focuses on how reviewers of fiction books construct their own identity and that of their readers in the text. Drawing on a corpus of 46 fiction BRs published in The New York Times and Newsweek, I explore the use and function of interactional metadiscourse, in particular attribution and engagement markers. Results indicate that reviewers generally seek to strike a balance between assessing a novel and engaging with the audience. Though appraisal is usually carried out implicitly, at certain points writers choose to make their presence explicit and to open a dialogue with readers, which greatly enhances the persuasiveness of the discourse.
Abstract
The book review (BR) has recently been the focus of insightful research in academia, but few studies have explored this genre in a non-academic context, more specifically in fiction. This paper focuses on how reviewers of fiction books construct their own identity and that of their readers in the text. Drawing on a corpus of 46 fiction BRs published in The New York Times and Newsweek, I explore the use and function of interactional metadiscourse, in particular attribution and engagement markers. Results indicate that reviewers generally seek to strike a balance between assessing a novel and engaging with the audience. Though appraisal is usually carried out implicitly, at certain points writers choose to make their presence explicit and to open a dialogue with readers, which greatly enhances the persuasiveness of the discourse.
Chapters in this book
- Prelim pages i
- Table of contents v
- Introduction vii
- Foreword ix
- Introductory chapter 1
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PART 1. Authorial stance and the construction of readership
- Chapter 1. Academic voices and claims 23
- Chapter 2. The role of authorial voice in professional and non-professional reviews of films 55
- Chapter 3. Multivoiced interaction in English and Italian academic review discourse 87
- Chapter 4. From ‘Readers may be left wondering’ to I’m genuinely puzzled’ 113
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PART 2. Dynamic dialogic interactions
- Chapter 5. Dialogic voices of writers and readers in traveller forums through interpersonality 137
- Chapter 6. A corpus-based study of the discursive creation of a child consumer identity in official tourist information websites vs. opinion forums 165
- Chapter 7. Interactions with readers through online specialised genres 189
- Conclusion 209
- Author index 221
- Subject index 225
Chapters in this book
- Prelim pages i
- Table of contents v
- Introduction vii
- Foreword ix
- Introductory chapter 1
-
PART 1. Authorial stance and the construction of readership
- Chapter 1. Academic voices and claims 23
- Chapter 2. The role of authorial voice in professional and non-professional reviews of films 55
- Chapter 3. Multivoiced interaction in English and Italian academic review discourse 87
- Chapter 4. From ‘Readers may be left wondering’ to I’m genuinely puzzled’ 113
-
PART 2. Dynamic dialogic interactions
- Chapter 5. Dialogic voices of writers and readers in traveller forums through interpersonality 137
- Chapter 6. A corpus-based study of the discursive creation of a child consumer identity in official tourist information websites vs. opinion forums 165
- Chapter 7. Interactions with readers through online specialised genres 189
- Conclusion 209
- Author index 221
- Subject index 225
